Textile makers continuously search for new, different, and appealing products, especially colored yarns (that is yarns having a color aside from white or greige colored). Oftentimes new yarns are made by blending short length (typically about two inches or less, e.g. about 1.25 inches) stock dyed staple fibers (either used alone or blended with greige staple fibers). However, stock dyed short fibers are typically not available in a wide variety of colors. Therefore, while it may be possible to produce a few different colors of new desired yarns, if it is necessary to produce an entire new product line (which requires a wide variety of different colors and/or hues), it is impractical to do so using stock dyed fibers. Customized colors of producer dyed fibers could be used instead of stock dyed fibers, however customized colors of producer dyed fibers are difficult to obtain since fiber producers require that a large quantity of such fibers be ordered (in order to make it economical for the fiber producer).
According to the present invention, the problems discussed above are overcome by a simple and straightforward method, to produce a wide variety of new colored yarns. By practicing the invention it is not only possible to produce entire lines of new (virgin) yarns, with a wide variety of colors and hues in the line, but it is also possible to produce them inexpensively and efficiently and with minimal undesirable heather effect, or alternatively with a distinct and desired heather effect.
According to one aspect of the present invention a method of making a colored yarn is provided, comprising the steps of substantially sequentially: (a) Producing a first virgin coarse feeder yarn. (b) Dyeing the first coarse feeder yarn a first color. (c) Drying the dyed first coarse feeder yarn. (d) Cutting the virgin dried first coarse feeder yarn and opening it up into first individual fibers about four inches long or less (preferably about two inches long or less, e.g. about 1.25 inches). (e) Blending the individual fibers from step (d) with other fibers to produce a blended composite of fibers. And, (f) spinning the composite of fibers into a final colored yarn.
In the past, feeder yarns have been used in the production of "turbo" yarns. However in the construction of turbo yarns the feeder yarns are formed tightly, with either a high degree of twist, or by using a production technique (such as open end spinning) where the fibers interlock significantly, because after cutting the intent has been to keep most of the cut thread intact. In turbo yarns the cut threads show in the yarn as colored nubs or slubs. The invention significantly departs from turbo yarn both in the manner of production and in the purpose, according to the invention the feeder yarns being made so that after cutting they readily open up into individual fibers (also called "cut threads").
Step (a) is typically practiced by spinning a 0.5/1 cc to 4/1 cc yarn (preferably approximately a 1/1 cc yarn, such as a 1/1 cc semi worsted yarn) by ring spinning. Typically step (b) will be practiced by package dyeing (although dyeing on a slasher is also possible) in which case a coarse feeder yarn is used with only as many turns (e.g. between about 1.0 to about 5.0 turns per inch, such as about 2.5 turns per inch) to make the yarn windable on dye springs or the like. Step (a) is typically practiced using staple fibers having a length of about three inches or more (e.g. about five to six inches), although shorter staple fibers could also be used. The invention has particular advantages and can achieve particularly unusual products where rayon is used either as the sole or a significant component of the coarse feeder yarn, but the invention is applicable to a wide variety of different yarn types including a mix of two or more different staple fibers selected from the group consisting essentially of cotton, rayon, polyester, acrylic, nylon, and polypropylene. Step (e) is typically also practiced using at least some greige staple fibers. For some products, step (e) is practiced by blending between about 10-80% (preferably about 20-40%) first individual fibers with greige staple fibers.
The invention may also comprise the further steps of: (a1) producing a second coarse feeder yarn; (b1) dyeing the second coarse feeder yarn a second color; (c1) drying the dyed second coarse feeder yarn; and (d1) cutting the dried second coarse feeder yarn and opening it up into second individual fibers about four inches long or less; and wherein step (e) is practiced by blending the first and second, differently colored, individual fibers together. Steps (a1) through (d1) may be practiced to produce at least third through fifth differently colored individual fibers, and step (e) may be practiced by blending two or more of the at least first through fifth differently colored individual fibers together to produce a multitude of (e.g. at least six, preferably ten or more) differently colored final yarns or a line or group of yarns. Steps (a) through (d) and (a1) through (d1) may be practiced to produce individual fibers having different colors but similar hues; e.g. an orange and a red, or a tan and a brown; steps (a1)-(d1) may be practiced to produce at least third individual fibers having a different color but similar hue to the first and second individual fibers; and steps (e) and (f) may be practiced to blend and spin the different color, similar hue, individual fibers together to produce a final yarn with minimal undesirable heather effect. Alternatively, especially where at least the majority of the staple fibers used in the practice of step (a) are of deep color, steps (e) and (f) may be practiced to produce a final yarn with a distinct and desired heather effect.
A line or group of a multitude of colored yarns (typically at least six, e.g. ten or more) may be provided, each colored yarn produced by practicing the method as set forth above. The yarns within a line each have substantially the same composition (e.g. about 80% cotton, 20% acrylic), differing from each other in color and/or hue only.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an effective and simple method of making a colored yarn, particularly to allow manufacture of lines of a wide variety of different colored yarns, and the lines of colored yarn so produced. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.